VIJAYAWADA: The Vijayawada city may have been ranked ninth in the country under Ease of Living Index by Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), but the recent rains exposed the ground reality as several residential colonies were inundated in the city due to delay in completion of Underground Drainage (UGD) works.
As on date, there are over 2.75 lakh dwellings in the city. But when the UGD project was announced in 2007, the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) set a target of providing 1.89 lakh connections under its ambit. However, it has brought down its target to 1,31,914 connections as the project did not go as planned. Due to severe funds-crunch prior to Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) scheme, the VMC commenced the UGD project only in 2009.
The civic body has given 86,201 UGD connections in last nine years and 45,713 connections are yet to be given. Unfortunately, officials are also not sure about the exact time period that will be taken for the completion of the project across the 59 divisions of the city. The inordinate delay has invited sharp criticism from residents and they are demanding the officials concerned to complete the works at the earliest considering the population growth in the city.
“Even after it has been 12 years since the UGD system was introduced by the VMC under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), the works remain incomplete and bad roads are causing inconvenience to the residents,” alleged Taxpayers Association secretary MV Anjaneyulu. With inordinate delay in providing UGD connections, the three major irrigation canals, Eluru, Bandar and Ryves, passing through the city, are being polluted with indiscriminate release of sewage by hotels and commercial establishments located on the canal bunds, he said.
Speaking to TNIE on Wednesday, VMC superintendent engineer (works) KS Rama Murthy said that the civic body has spent around `300 crore on underground drainage scheme in the city. This is a part of city-beautification process. So far, 86,201 UGD connections have been given in the city against the target of 1,31,914.
When asked about the delay, the official said works are being executed in various divisions of the city considering local conditions. Several divisions are connected with UGD and the remaining 45,713 connections will be covered by year-end. ‘’We have the potential to generate revenue of about `50 to `100 crore per annum once all the dwellings given UGD connections’’, he added.